vioce over internet protocol

['Tomas]

Can anyone advise me on how to give reliable fax service to my customers who are now using "voice over internet protocal" "VOIP". Thank You!!

[rosspt]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

ECM: 1-104-002 (com. swich 1) change bit 0 to 0
Cable EQ Settings: 1-105-008 (G3 switch 7) change bits 0,1,2 and 3 to 1
V.8 Protocol: 1-105-004 (G3 switch 3) change bit 2 to 0
Modem Speed TX: 1-105-006 (G3 switch 5) change bit 0,1 and 3 to 0. Change bit 2 to 1
Modem Speed RX: 1-105-007 (G3 switch 6) change bit 0,1, and 3 to 0. Change bit 2 to 1

[buzz]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

This is a good topic, we're having issues with digital lines and MFP fax devices.
What is crazy is that sometimes a $100 rinky dink mfp from Office depot will work better than a $15,000 system.

@rosspt: is that settings on a particular model?

thanks.

[rosspt]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

This is a good topic, we're having issues with digital lines and MFP fax devices.
What is crazy is that sometimes a $100 rinky dink mfp from Office depot will work better than a $15,000 system.

@rosspt: is that settings on a particular model?

thanks.

These settings should exist on everything but not everything will work on VOIP systems. If after you have made the switch changes (all of them must be applied for voip issues) and the machine is still having fax issues, there's not much more you can do. An alternative the customer can consider is getting faxes forwarded through the voip system to their email and bypassing the copier altogether for incoming faxes. Welcome to the digital world

Note: These setting changes to the fax may also fix other problems like noise on the line, requiring pauses in the dialing of the fax number, other irregular/intermittent fax failures. Just remember what you changed so that you can change it back if it doesn't resolve the problem.

[buzz]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

thanks for the clarity and info.

I've done several different setting changes on Sharps and Okis, not Ricohs, but still had issues.

I guess perhaps the best reliable fax service (per Tomas' request) on a digital line might be that forwarding to email service, which may be a simple fax modem on a PC type software, bypassing the machine.

[Lagonda]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

Just remember that faxes were designed in the pre-digital age to work over a copper wire network. Start tweaking all the setting to get it to send via voip you usually end up compromising its basic values, i.e cripple its tx speed.

[Iowatech]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

Also, make sure the voice over IP network is a standard network. There could be some cheap nonstandard stuff out there which will cause you grief no matter what you try to adjust.
At least there was some cheap VOIP crap here that cause me grief like that back in the day.

[Gift]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

Yeah, never tell the customer that modified settings will work - even if it works. Official specification statement is that G3 fax requires analog lines or ISDN with proper adapters. Period.

So what we do is just "good will" and it does make transmissions work again but even if it works you can't tell if the customer might switch to another provider/service - you also can't foresee new or changed compression methods used for VoIP in order to keep the bandwidth and costs low. So any working constellation might run into issues in the future. This topic is also important for the sales guys.

[colour_field_98]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

You require a Cisco Modem. Turns digital signal to analog. Install it then make an adjustment on the Call Manager and it will be fine.

[Klydon]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

VOIP and fax are not very friendly with each other, period. There are some local providers who will not support fax over VOIP (IE, VOIP providers will not).

Basically, you change your settings on the fax (especially turn off ECM). After that, it is totally up to the provider to make QOS (Quality of Service) adjustments to give that particular a very high priority in terms of bandwidth. If the provider can't or won't do it, then the issue is between the provider and the customer as you have done everything you can. You can also go over with the customer that the use of a VOIP line for fax and then putting the settings so that the line has high priority may also cause the rest of the network to slow down will get their attention.

The recommendation for fax would be that it has its own dedicated line. If a customer has a lot of outgoing and wants to save money, then its time to scan and send as an attachment to email.

I had a customer (insurance company) make the switch from a dedicated line that was working just fine to VOIP. I came in and made what adjustments I could on the machine and then had the "conversation" with the customer. Less than 30 days, they were back to what worked; dedicated phone line.

Bottom line for a service tech is do not let the VOIP provider put it on you in the customer's eyes that there is an issue with your machine as to why it won't fax on their line.

[KenB]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

You require a Cisco Modem. Turns digital signal to analog. Install it then make an adjustment on the Call Manager and it will be fine.

This is true overall, but some Cisco modems don't work well at all with fax, at least with some Ricoh models.

[KenB]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

If you're a true geek (or extremely bored), Wireshark has some really cool telephony reading abilities.

It will allow you to not only see all the data exchanged, with the signals labeled, you can also play back audio of the transmission.

Using this method I was able to prove that a customer's fax gateway (attached to a RightFax server) was bad - turned out that a firmware update was needed.

There are some good instructions on how to do this on Wireshark's site.

[Lagonda]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

Bottom line for a service tech is do not let the VOIP provider put it on you in the customer's eyes that there is an issue with your machine as to why it won't fax on their line.......

Had one or two arguments with the customers Voip suppliers, they don't seem to see the logic in the argument " Well, it was working fine until YOU changed things so the problem must be with your system"
If they don't come to the party over that then you go on the attack "Yes, we can come out and adjust the fax settings, but are you or the customer going to pay our call out fee?"

[slimslob]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

We have VOIP business service at our office. At the time we ordered the service we informed that one of the lines was to be used as a FAX line for a MFP. We have no problems as the provider made sure that the line met Group 3 facsimile specifications.

['Tomas]

Re: vioce over internet protocol

Thank You all for your attention. I new this particular situation was gong to try me. This person who was providing the "VOIP" service had my customer convince that it was the machine with the problem. Not only that but, I told my customer that I have no business in her phone closet. I also told the provider that I was not jumping wires or punching down wires onto phone blocks. Thanks again.